Renewable energy project comes to Southwest Utah

Southern Utah is taking a step toward providing more renewable energy through a new project linked to the Kern River pipeline system.

The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems’ Veyo Heat Recovery Project was officially commissioned on Tuesday marking the start to a 7.8 megawatt electricity-generating undertaking. Considered a ‘green project,’ it was issued the first tax-exempt green bond for a carbon-free power generating plant.

The Recovered Energy Generation plant, located adjacent to the Veyo natural gas compressor station owned by Kern River Gas Transmission Company, began commercial operations on May 26. This is the second REG unit that has been installed along the Kern River natural gas pipeline.

UAMPS spokesman LaVarr Webb said the project is meant to produce electricity by using the heat that is a result of the pipeline.

“They have to pump the natural gas and those pumps produce a lot of heat that is currently being wasted into the atmosphere,” Webb said. “There’s enough heat that they were able to build a power plant using that waste heat to turn turbines.” (…)